USAID Press Releases
Recent Press Releases from the U.S. Agency for International Development.



Statement by Administrator Shah on International Literacy Da (Sep 8)
Forty four years ago, the United Nations declared September 8th to be International Literacy Day and while there have been substantial improvements since then, we still have a lot of work to do.


African and U.S. Universities Partner to Tackle Development Challenges across Africa (Sep 8)
USAID and Higher Education for Development announced that 11 innovative new partnerships between 22 universities in Africa and the United States have each been awarded up to $1.1 million for activities to address issues including food security and agriculture, solar energy, health care, education, and water in Africa.


U.S. Provides Clean Water to Flood-Affected Citizens of Pakistan (Sep 3)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided 13 mobile water treatment units to support the Government of Pakistan's flood relief effort.


USAID's Bolivia Mission Gets a New Director (Sep 3)
Wayne R. Nilsestuen has been sworn in as the Director for U.S. Agency for International Development's Mission in Bolivia. He brings over 30 years of development experience, having worked in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.


USAID Swears In New Mission Director for Lebanon (Sep 3)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) held a swearing in ceremony today for Dr. Jim Barnhart as the new Mission Director for Lebanon. Counselor Hilda Arellano presided at the ceremony and administered the oath to Dr. Barnhart


U.S. Enhances Logistics Operation for Flood Relief Efforts (Sep 1)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided nearly $2 million to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the humanitarian logistics operation and the provision of much-needed emergency relief supplies for health, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs.


Afghan Sentenced to Prison for Committing Fraud Against USAID (Aug 31)
Ahman Samim Sediqi of Kabul, Afghanistan, was tried and sentenced in a local Afghan court on forgery and embezzlement charges stemming from his work on a development project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced USAID Office of Inspector General spokeswoman Dona M. Dinkler.


Short-Term Jobs Help Aid Reach Stranded Villages (Sep 1)
The United States quick-impact cash-for-work programs to help rehabilitate flood-damaged infrastructure. Flood waters washed out roads and bridges, leaving many villages stranded and unable to get aid.


Shah, Sadoshima Meet on U.S.-Japanese Development Aims (Aug 27)
Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, today conferred with Shiro Sadoshima, the Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on matters of mutual interest such as flood relief for Pakistan, assistance for Afghanistan, the Millennium Development Goals and other areas of overlap in development efforts worldwide.


USAID's Guatemala Mission Gets a New Director (Aug 26)
Kevin Kelly has been sworn in as the Mission Director for USAID's Mission in Guatemala. He brings more than 30 years of development experience, having worked on projects in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Former Soviet Union.


U.S. Provides $50 Million in Early Recovery Aid to Pakistan Flood Victims (Aug 25)
Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today announced the U.S. is providing $50 million to assist the people of Pakistan in the aftermath of the country's flood disaster.


Digicel Foundation and U.S. Government Partner to Provide New Schools in Earthquake-Affected Communities in Haiti (Aug 25)
The first school built under an innovative public-private partnership was opened today by the Digicel Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).


USAID Administrator Arrives In Pakistan (Aug 24)
Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), arrived in Pakistan Tuesday to consult with the Government of Pakistan on the extensive U.S. response to the country's devastating floods.


USAID swears in New Mission Director for West Bank, Gaza (Aug 24)
U.S. Government Hosts Conference on Improving Southern Sudan's Agriculture


USAID Provides Additional Support to Local Humanitarian Organizations in Pakistan (Aug 25)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is furthering its commitment to local humanitarian organizations in Pakistan via the RAPID response fund.


U.S. Provides $3 Million in Assistance Through Pakistan Red Crescent Society (Aug 25)
USAID has provided $3 million dollars through the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to provide emergency shelter, immediate health care and access to clean water and sanitation for an estimated 25,000 families in flood-affected areas.


USAID Administrator Shah Pays Tribute to Humanitarians (Aug 19)
World Humanitarian Day honors all humanitarians who have lost their lives in the cause of duty, as well as those who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause. Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), released the following statement on the occasion..


Interim Haiti Recovery Commission Approves United States Proposal to Repair Priority Energy Substations (Aug 18)
At the second board meeting of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), co-chaired by Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and President Bill Clinton, the United States Government presented a program that will be implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to repair and rehabilitate at least five priority energy substations.


The Coca-Cola Company's Haiti Hope Project Momentum Continues With Investment From United States Government (Aug 18)
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) and the United States Government, acting through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today announced that USAID will provide an initial contribution of $1 million to the Haiti Hope Project, a public-private initiative that aims to develop a sustainable mango industry in Haiti.


USAID Assistance Tops $105 Million for Nigeriens in Need (Aug 20)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is expanding support for food-insecure people and acutely malnourished children in Niger. USAID has committed more than $105 million in humanitarian assistance to date in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010.


USAID Partners with NASA, Nike and State Department to Address Global Health Challenges (Aug 17)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE, Inc. have partnered on a unique initiative called LAUNCH. The idea behind LAUNCH is to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to humanity's sustainability challenges through a series of forums, each focused on a specific sustainability challenge.


U.S. Embassy Announces Groundbreaking Effort to Provide Emergency Food Assistance to Earthquake Victims in Haiti (Aug 13)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today that it will award two separate, high-impact grants in Haiti to help earthquake-affected families meet their food needs from local markets with cash or vouchers.


Statement from the Administrator on the Occasion of International Youth Day (Aug 12)
Today the United Nations launches the International Year of Youth. An estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide are between the ages of 12 and 24, and 1.3 billion are in developing countries.


New USAID-Funded Haiti Apparel Center to Provide Training to Thousands of Haitians in the Garment Industry (Aug 11)
On the heels of President Barack Obama's enactment of trade legislation to promote economic opportunity in Haiti, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the opening of the Haiti Apparel Center (HAC).


Former Congressman Pleads Guilty to Helping Charitable Entity with Ties to Terrorist Organization (Aug 11)
Mark Deli Siljander, a former U.S. congressman from Michigan and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 7, 2010, to obstruction of justice and to acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA)-a charity with ties to international terrorism, reported Howard 'Ike' Hendershot, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).